Final Moments
by randomnessx23
Summary: At that moment, when time runs dry, And you know soon, you're going to die, What would you do? What would you say? To your loved ones on your last day. Nick thought for a while, and let out a sigh "Such troubling ideas, I wonder why?" "These thoughts right now, do they carry ill omens? *sigh* "I guess we'll find out, after these final moments..."
1. Final Moments

At that moment, when time runs dry,

And you know that soon, you're going to die,

What would you do? What would you say?

To your loved ones on your last day.

.

Cherish the present? Relive the past?

Go through the memories? Those memories that lasts?

"That's what I'll do" Nick said in despair.

"For in the future, I wouldn't be there."

.

The fox resolved, then began to cry,

The tears he fought back fell from his eye.

But what can be said? What can be done?

He's lived a good life; he's had a good run.

.

But it's not 'bout him, that he is sure,

It's about Judy, it's always 'bout her.

His loving bunny, his beautiful wife,

His pride and joy, his love, his life.

.

He thought for a while, and let out a sigh,

"Such troubling ideas, I wonder why?"

"These thoughts right now, do they carry ill omens?"

*sigh*

"I guess we'll find out, after these final moments…"

.

.

.

.

.

.

 **Final Moments**

"Nick? Nick, are you up?" Judy pushed the door open and darted her gaze across the room, her eyes stopped wandering and fixed itself on a bundle of red fur that laid inanimately on the bed. "I guess not," she thought out aloud and stepped into the room, closing the door quietly lest she wakes the resting fox. Pulling a chair to the side of the bed, the rabbit placed a bag next to the beside table and hopped onto the sturdy chair, which squeaked a little as Judy landed onto it with a thud. It was still very early in the morning, probably a quarter pass seven, so it was no surprise that Nick was still sound asleep, after all foxes are nocturnal mammals. Instead of waking the dozing canine Judy decided to take a moment to truly cherish his presence, for it was only a matter of time before she would lose him forever...

"Carrots?" a soft whisper came from Nick as he shifted on his bed to assume a more comfortable position, flailing his arms randomly as he did so.

"Woah Nick, careful or you'll break the tubes," Judy warned while grabbing his swaying arms, Nick jolted up from his sleep upon hearing the bunny call out.

"Right, the tubes..." he took a glance at the tubes that penetrated his forearm, it was carrying a colourless fluid into his system, what that solution was had always been a mystery to the red fox.

"It's an IV solution, a kind of saline solution with glucose in it to maintain your osmotic pressure and make sure you stay hydrated." A porcupine who just entered the room informed the curious fox.

"I knew that, absolutely," Nick quipped with his signature smug appearance eliciting giggles from the bunny and an eye roll from the porcupine, "how are we doing doc?" he continued with a much more serious tone.

"You're doing just fine, in fact the panel of doctors working on your case has decided to discharge you tomorrow afternoon!" Nick would've jumped off the bed with joy if it weren't for the tubes connected to his body, alternatively he violently wagged his tail at the good news. "Miss Hopps, if you would kindly follow me to the counter, you'll need to fill in some documents regarding Mr Wilde's stay here in the hospital." The porcupine beckoned Judy to follow him out from the room, she did so compliantly with a bubbly demeanour.

"So! I was just wondering if we could carry Nick's discharge forward to tonight, because we-"

"I'm sorry miss Hopps..." the doctor stopped in his tracks and turned to face the doe, a gloomy expression remained on his face. "I'm truly sorry I had to deceive you in such a way, but I had to keep things positive for Mr Wilde." Her jaw dropped as she heard the doctor's confession.

"So… Nick's not going to make it?" she asked in a shaky tone, she had reached her limit and was about to burst into a crying fit.

"Whether he will make it or not really depends on how he copes through this week; if he could improve drastically after returning home, there's a great chance for survival, but if he doesn't..." the porcupine looked around the hospital to avoid Judy's teary eyes. "I'm afraid you'll have to prepare for the worst…" he wore an apologetic look as he delivered the news. "As far as the medical field goes, we'll do our best to boost his chance of survival, but the main determinant for his emotional and psychological welfare would depend on you, miss Hopps." The porcupine took a step towards the doe and clasped her paws with his own. "Can you stay strong and positive? For me, for Nick." The doctor gripped her paws tighter, Judy's gaze remained down casted on the ground.

"What... what if I lose him? I know I've been warned that it will happen, but what if it really does? What if... if..." tears began to flow as the porcupine carefully embraced the weeping doe.

"Still, persevere, for Nick. He needs you now more than ever." He released her from his grip and took a step back. "I would suggest you spend the whole of today with him, that would definitely help him with his morale. I am also aware that the both of you have children, yes?" the bunny brushed a tear off her cheek and nodded. "Would you like me to personally drive them here? I think it'll be good if they spent some time with Mr Wilde as well," The doctor suggested but Judy quickly refused.

"They can spend time with his once he gets home tomorrow." She stated with confidence.

"That's the spirit! He'll recover in no time with such a positive attitude, keep it up miss Hopps!" he pumped a fist into the air encouragingly, Judy returned the favour with a smile.

"Thanks doc, I'll head back to Nick now, see ya!" and with that she turned and headed back to Nick's room.

"I hope you stay strong, really strong miss Hopps..." the porcupine whispered quietly. "Today may very well be his very last..."

...

...

"I did well didn't I? C'mon Carrots you know I did well." Nick cooed as Judy sat silently beside him on the bed, she seemed rather uneasy, quite honestly who wouldn't after learning that the love of your life is barely hanging on to his life. The fox's wagging tail ceased its swaying motion as he scooted closer to the distress bunny. "What's wrong Carrots?" he asked, confused as to why she had a solemn look. She snapped away from her thoughts as she felt a warm, padded paw reach for her arm.

"Huh? Oh it's nothing..." a small tear rolled down her cheek as she swiftly turned away to hide it from Nick.

"What's the matter Carrots? Not glad I'm going to make it? Now I'm really hurt." He placed a paw on his chest in mock disappointment.

"Don't say that Nick," Judy playfully swatted his arm, "I'm extremely glad you're getting discharged tomorrow, maybe a little too glad." A stream of tears flowed from her pair of eyes and cascaded down her grey fur, was it tears of joy or tears of grief? Even she doesn't know.

"Aww, come here you." The fox wrapped his arm around the rabbit and dragged her closer to his side. "Bunnies, so emotional," he added teasingly as Judy jabbed him in his abdomen, he chuckled lightly in response. "How you wound me. So, do I get a treat for doing well or not?"

The doe laughed out aloud as she leaned unto his small frame, "Of course you do." She soothed while scratching the tuff of fur under his muzzle causing him to purr in pure delight, his tail instinctively returned to its endless wagging. She sat back up as Nick slumped his head on her lap, his eyes remained shut as he enjoyed the wonderful sensation of Judy's claws hovering over his skin.

"That's the stuff." He said in response with a satisfying sigh, the pleasurable stroking left him in a state of ecstasy as he rested his head on the lap of the bunny. "I can sure get used to this." He shifted above her earning him a series of giggles from the doe.

"Wish I could say the same..." her joyful demeanour fell as she looked around the room and realised that this was, in fact, a hospital and not their own home, the revelation that this very room may just be the very last place she gets to see the love of her life hit her like a train, it was too much to handle. She let out a sigh and fought back the tears.

"Judy..." the bunny turned to the vulpine on her lap with a mild feeling of shock and surprise; Nick never called her by her name unless he was concerned or felt emotional charged, which is quite often actually but he wouldn't admit it. She stopped her stroking and enveloped his paw with hers. "What's wrong Judy? You know you can tell me." Concern filled his gaze as he looked deep into her violet hues, it was as though he was looking straight into her soul. She sighed again and leaned against the hospital bed, Nick got up and joined beside her.

"How did it get to this?" she started after letting out a breath of air. "A random con-mammal roaming lifelessly and aimlessly around the streets-"

"Hey! Lifelessly? Please Carrots I am everything but lifeless," he defended as she jabbed his arm with her elbow, it wasn't a hard blow, but it was just enough to convey her annoyance at how he interrupted her. "Ow," he responded, quite monotonously. They shared a playful smirk before Judy managed to continue.

"As I was saying, before I was rudely cut off." She pointed a warning finger at the vulpine's raised digit; he was about to interrupt her yet again, but Judy stopped him just in time. A wide grin spread across Nick's muzzle as he watched the almost fuming bunny in much amusement. "Anyways, a random hustler bumps into a random police newbie-"

"Police newbie falls head over heels for the handsome hustler."

"-at some random ice cream shop by the road, then hustler gets involved in newbie's first ever case-"

"Against my own will actually, not that I'm complaining."

"-newbie and hustler somehow manages to solve the mystery-"

"While trying their best not to die, just saying..."

"-newbie, as naive and dumb a newbie can be, makes some mistakes and burns the bridges established with the hustler, retreats back to her home in guilt and shame-"

"That was 3 very painful months Judy." Judy, after ignoring the fox's many snarky remarks, finally looked away from the door which she has been unknowingly staring at and into Nick's gleaming emerald eyes, behind them were many emotions which he has never shown; the hurt, grief, the loneliness he felt as he recalled the many days he spent under that bridge. Those days of uncertainties and tears are now forgotten because a little bunny came hopping back to his side, back into his life. "Thanks Judy, for returning." The doe gazed affectionately at her partner before leaping into his arms. Sniffles could be heard as Nick chuckled teasingly, "Bunnies, as emotional as ever." He matched Judy's loving gaze as both mammals' lips locked in a brief yet sweet kiss.

The bunny sighed. "How did that big mess many years ago lead to this?" her paws gesticulated at practically everything in the room, "Who would've guessed it'll end up like this?" she asked rhetorically, and room fell back into a comfortable silence. For a long moment, the duo simply soaked in each other's presence. Nick's clawed paws grazed over the short fur lining Judy's ear causing a shiver to shoot up her spine; he knew that her ears were very sensitive and would respond to the slightest of touch or sound, him stroking her ears was initially a form of teasing that he used to get on her nerves, he could still remember the first time he discovered this weakness of hers, and he would never forget the angry look on her face that evening, _Cute, as always..._ however this playful banter has somehow turned into an intimate act of displaying affection, how it got to that was beyond him, but he didn't mind, neither did Judy.

"Who would've guessed, huh?" Nick said, picking up from their previous conversation while his paws continued it's stroking. "But from the very beginning to this very moment, you've skipped an awful lot when you had your emotional episode just now." His signature grin and lazy, drooping eyelids feel into place as he held Judy closer to himself. "Remember the days that followed after the Nighthowler case?" The bunny sighed in content.

"How could I ever forget?"

...

...

"Wha..." Judy's gaze alternated between Nick, who had his paws lazily tucked into the pockets of his jeans, and the paper that she held in her own paws. "Nick, what is this?" her paws were shaking as her wandering eyes finally landed on the fox before her. He chuckled amusingly.

"C'mon Carrots, don't act so surprised." A grin hung over his muzzle as he eyed the bunny; yep, she was definitely shaking, but not from anger or rage, no, it was anything but anger or rage.

"WOAH! NICK I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!" in a failed attempt to control her joy, Judy leaped into his arms causing both mammals to crash onto the floor in a loud thud.

"UFF!" he let out a wheeze before groaning from the pain, "Do not ever do that again," he warned breathlessly after getting the wind knocked out of him, "And why are you so surprised? You did ask for a partner after all." The fox wore a proud smirk as he glanced at the fidgeting bunny.

"I know Nick, I know, but I was asking for a partner in the ZPD, not THIS!" she shook the documents vigorously, the shock and excitement from hearing the news still lingered as she pounced towards her bed.

"Why? You don't like it? I mean I can always just-" the doe lunged herself towards Nick once again, but this time he managed to keep himself balanced.

"No." she placed a finger over his lips and silenced him, "I love it." The bunny retracted her raised digit and leaped back onto her bed. "Gimme ten minutes, we'll leave straight away after I'm done." Judy quickly made her way to her closet and began tossing heaps of clothing into her luggage, the fox merely snickered at her extremely thrilled state of mind. He retrieved the piece of paper from the table next to her bed and paced out from her congested room. _This will be interesting…_ he thought to himself as he slid the document into his vacant pockets; the document that so happens to be a lease to a house in Savannah Central; the document to their new home.

"Well I gotta hand it to you Carrots, you sure pack up very quickly," Nick commented as he lifted the bunny's briefcase down the flight of stairs that led to the exit, the baggage wasn't really heavy, for the fox at least, and wasn't as jam packed as he expected it to be. Then again, Judy's apartment at the Grand Pangolin Arms was very cramped-up, so she couldn't have had so much stuff placed in there to begin with. "Sure you wanna leave behind that grand piano of yours?" he teased; a piano would have taken up at least three quarters of her room.

"Oh I'm sure it'll be fine to ditch it." She rolled along with Nick's playful banters, "Not like anyone of us has a need for it anyway. Besides, with our marvellous pay checks I'm sure we can easily buy two more for our new house." Sarcasm laced her words, but the grin was replaced with a smile as she thought about what she just said, _OUR new house…_ "Speaking of which…" her steps came to a halt just before they reached the exit, "how did you manage to get the place?" she shot the fox a sceptical squint as her arms came across her chest.

"Well." Nick started, "200 bucks a day for 2 whole decades sure does pay off huh?" a prideful smirk hung from his muzzle, but Judy was less amused and more annoyed at his answer.

"The only pay off you should be doing is paying off your evaded taxes!" her foot began tapping on the wooden floor as she gazed disapprovingly at Nick. His ears pinned itself towards his skull as his arms moved from his flanks towards his front; the typical posture of a guilty and submissive child caught in the act of stealing a cookie from the cookie jar. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

"That I'm sorry?" he shrugged his shoulders and raised his paws. Wrong answer.

"You're gonna have to pay every single penny back." The fox was about to let out a whine, but Judy raised her paw and silenced him before he could do so, "that, or we're gonna sell the house off. That's the deal; majority of your income goes to repaying your evaded taxes, or we lose the house, take it or leave it," she said in a stern and cold manner. "That would mean no purchasing of luxuries and no vacations until all your debt is settled. In fact, no buying anything at all except for the basic necessities." Nick let out a groan.

"I haven't gotten us a TV yet; can we at least buy that?"

"No."

"But-"

"No." There was no bargaining with the persistent doe. With another groan and a sigh, he gave in to the rabbit's demands.

"Fine."

"Shake on it." She extended her paw which Nick glared in response.

"I knew this will all come back and bite me in the butt," he commented and rubbed on his long snout. "You sure about this Fluff? That means no television for an entire year!"

"Make that a year and a half." Her paw remained between the two mammals, "so be it." The demeanour she wore was filled with determination and a hint of anger, but she wouldn't stay angry at Nick for long, after all he did have a heart to turn over a new leaf. The fox was on the verge of tears when he held Judy's paw for a pawshake, _A year and a half!?_ He thought in disbelief. His dependence on the electronic device was evident as he began to shake at the thought of living without the bedazzling screen, a common sign of withdrawal syndrome.

"You'll be the death of me, Carrots." He let out his third groan that minute, the doe merely smirked victoriously.

"Don't you die on me fox, then all that debt will be handed to me."

"And why's that?" his question caught her off guard. "Why would me debts be handed over to you? Hmm? It's not like we're related or anything." She knew exactly where this was headed, her ears began to burn as he closed the distance between them. "Or are you trying to suggest something?" his muzzle hung a hair's breath away from the doe's, "Judy?" Her face immediately turned crimson red, for some reason him calling her by her name had such a strong effect on her, and his flirtatious acts only added to her embarrassment.

"Quit it slick." She shoved his muzzle away, cringing slightly in the process as she felt his cold and damp nose on her paw. "It's my responsibility as your partner in the ZPD to ensure your name is wiped clean." She thought of an excuse on the fly, but her blushing cheeks and twitching snout betrayed her thoughts, allowing the fox to read her like a book.

"Not really subtle huh Fluff?" he teased, then patted the crown of her head. "We'll work on that later," Nick said with a chuckle, "We'll have all the time in the world after we unload your stuff. Plus, we'll be all alone, left to our own devices…" His voice was deep and suggestive, eliciting a chill to travel down her spine and causing the bunny's flushed cheeks to turn several shades darker. " _left to our own devices..."_ his voice rang through her head.

"You're sick." She tried to hide her blushing from the fox.

"I know," he said proudly, glad he had an edge over this extremely adorable bunny before him. "And you're just too cute to pass off."

"So you're hitting on me now? Tough luck Slick, I ain't no easy bunny," she quipped with all the confidence she could muster, it seemed to have worked as Nick retracted and took a step back, but the smug grin of his face told her otherwise.

He contemplated on going further with the teasing, but decided against it, lest he loses the only mammal who ever trusted and believed in him. And with that, he picked her luggage back up and headed out through the exit. "We'll see about that. C'mon Carrots, let's go." He prompted as both predator and prey walked through the door, leaving the old apartment behind along with the uncomfortably heated atmosphere that began to envelope them both.

...

...

"Ain't no easy bunny anymore huh Fluff?" the fox nudged the doe on her side, eliciting a burst of sharp giggles.

"And you yourself aren't really subtle either, Mr Fox," she retorted. Both occupants of the hospital bed shared a wide grin as a very familiar feeling fell upon them, the same feelings they held that very moment many years ago. "I love you dumb fox, even back then, even now." Her amethyst pools shined brightly against his emerald ones.

"Psshh, I knew it," he chuckled playfully, "You fell for me that day, no doubt about that." A prideful, almost arrogant smirk spread across his muzzle earning him a jab on his arm and a kick to his feet. "How you wound me," he commented, barely affected from Judy's assault.

"Wound you? Please I'm sure you can take more than a few blows." She crossed her arms and leaned into the pillow.

A paw made its way to Nick's chin as he rubbed it in contemplation, "That's true, but that's because you've afflicted me with so much pain I'm pretty much desensitised."

"What!? I never did such a thing!" Judy defended herself with a raise of her tone.

"Did to!"

"Did not!"

"Oh really? Remember just before I left for the academy?" a flashback started to cue as the bunny's arms fell to her side. She whimpered in annoyance.

"Oh no, not again…"

...

...

The bright sun stood above the metropolis at its regular position right smack in the centre of the sky, the continuous waves of heat it sends descended from the heavens above and crashed onto the earth below, successfully ruining the day of countless mammals that were out and about. Lucky for a certain fox, he was still in the safe confines of his home staring out from the window, feeling rather glad that he had no reason to leave his comfort zone.

"Oh Nick!"

His world of peace and comfort collapsed; the reason to step out came through the door in the form of a bunny, _Oh sweet cheese and crackers…_

"Nick? You up yet?" footsteps could be heard as the doe made her way up the stairs, "he'd better be up, it's almost noon…" he caught her muttering to herself. Not before long, a grey furred rabbit surfaced to the top floor of the house. "Good afternoon Nicholas."

"The answer is no," he deadpanned.

"Come on Nick, you promised!" Judy whined from where she stood near the stairs. "If you don't shape up now, mark my words you will go through death at the academy."

"So be it."

"So be it? Nick if you can't even make it through the academy how can you ever be my partner?" her paws extended itself towards the fox as she pleaded.

"Well, Ben made it." The look on Judy's face was absolute horror.

"That's so mean." She sucked in a breath and took a step back, her paws covered her snout to further emphasise her disbelief. "How… how could you say such a thing…" she was totally shocked at his outright unacceptable behaviour. Judy snapped.

"OWW OWW OWW OWW JUDY!" The fox yelped in pain as Judy dragged him, by his ear, down the stairs and towards the door. "OK OK! I'LL BEHAVE!" she tugged on his sore ear one last time before letting him go, Nick immediately rubbed on the pain as his ear slowly went numb.

"Here's the plan; laps around the park, then to the gym for more weight training." She was determined to make sure he was fit for the academy, but he was less enthusiastic about it.

"Really? In this heat?" he complained. Judy merely took a step closer, that got Nick to jump in fright.

"OK OK I'LL DO IT!" she smirked victoriously. "Mercy, please mercy!" he begged, but got nothing in return.

"You'll go through much worse in the academy, then even worse-r when working with the chief." She may have exaggerated with her statement, but she knew it was better for the fox to be prepared than to stumble while on the job, because one little slip can, and will, put both their lives at risk. "Let's get going then," she chimed, Nick groaned, both stepped out from the house, one determined, the other defeated; it was going to be a long day...

The dreadful routine played out for an entire month before Nick had entered the academy, every single day without fail, save for the weekends, those were reserved for relaxation times. Initially it would tire the fox and cause him to instantly collapse into a comatose state the first thing they got home, but it soon got easier and easier as the days gone by; things were actually looking up. Speaking of dreadful routines, the fox and the doe were currently participating in yet another activity that Nick passionately hated; paw to paw combat. Why does he hate it so much? Easy: Judy always wins, speaking of which...

"Ha! Pinned ya again." The bunny was above the worn-out fox, pressing against his shoulders to prevent him from escaping. Her heart began to race, despite it already beating quite violently, as she leaned over Nick; the exercise seemed to have paid off as she could the defined muscle beneath his cream coat. Her mind began to wander dangerously.

"Heh heh, don't think I didn't notice your little moment right there." Hot flushes immediately hit her as she noticed the extremely awkward position she held over the vulpine. What was worse is that the crowd of mammals that had come to watch their little match seemed to have caught on with what was happening. "Like what you see?" Nick's comment caused a series of gasps to sound from their audience. The bunny brought her ears over her eyes and hid in shame.

"Why did you have to embarrass me like that!?" the doe, thoroughly flustered and frustrated, scolded the rather innocent fox that was beside her as they started jogging back home. The vulpine tailed her as she quickened her pace, hoping to avoid any potential events that would add on to the humiliation.

"Me? I didn't do anything Fluff, it was all you." His usual casual grin held firm on his muzzle as he caught up with the dashing bunny. "Can't blame me for being so lovable." The doe ceased her running while Nick carried on, only to notice her standing idly behind him. He then turned around and slowly paced towards where she stood. She did not look happy.

"I want to say this right here, right now." The rabbit was fuming. "There is NOTHING going on between us." She motioned a cross with her arms to add emphasis and tried to look as annoyed as possible, but behind that well-fixed facade, she was sorely confused. Nick inched down so that he was at eye level with the bunny, her facade instantly fell.

"Right," he said and got back up, "noted." He continued his jog back home, leaving Judy behind all by herself.

...

...

"I can't believe you just left me there!"

"Hey in my defence Fluff I was as confused as you were, and you sounded very irked and resolute." The fox crossed his arms around his chest and exhaled a puff of air. "It's not always my fault you know."

"Right." She rolled her eyes. "Well, at least things turned out right at the end."

"Yeah; went to the academy, came back after months just to be tackled by a hyperactive, super energized bunny. Did you really miss me that much?" The fox placed a paw over his chest and brought his snout closer to Judy, his lowered ears and droopy eyes betrayed the playful nature of his words.

"Every single day since you left. Can't help it, the house was just so quiet without you, but now we know who's the noisiest between us two," the doe jested.

"Har har," came his remark, "we called every night without fail and yet you still longed for my presence? That surely says how much you love me."

"Does it now? Yes, yes it does." It was true, despite them communicating all the while, the talks they shared lacked a certain dimension; the physical and rather intimate component than can only be obtained through face to face contact, that wireless communication could never bring. For all the days without Nick beside Judy, she craved it more and more.

"Heh heh, sly bunny." Nick placed a finger on her incoming lips; the suppressed urges to kiss that stupid grin off the fox's face began to surface as she subconsciously shifted nearer towards his muzzle. "Getting a little too excited now, aren't we?" her ears fell down below her shoulders in embarrassment, she let out a chuckle in hopes of him brushing it off, but she soon found herself entwined with the vulpine's lips in a long and very much pleasurable kiss.

"Sly... fox..." The bunny managed to mumble while their lips locked. They remained in this manner for a rather long time, and finally broke off, panting and gasping for air, when they felt the need to breathe again. "Breathe taking."

"Literally." They laughed merrily and whole heartedly, feeling glad that such intimacy was no longer seen as a taboo, but a rather welcomed gesture. "I could get used to that, it's absolutely thrilling." The doe began to blush from the look that Nick was giving her, the big creepy smile showed all the evil thought he had of her, but they were legal married and were officially mates, so she reasoned that it was only normal to have such twisted ideas.

"Quit it Slick, not until your safely home." The fox hummed rather cheerfully.

"It's a promise?"

"Of course it is." _We're so comfortable talking about such intimate acts, funny considering I'm a rabbit and he's a fox. But I've gotta say, he's as charming and dashing as the day he was when he proposed..._ happy memories bubbled into her mind as she allowed a flashback to consume her.

...

...

The air was humid and carried a distinct scent of flowers and trees. If you had made a bet that they were in the Rainforest district, you may go and claim your prize. The weather that day was pretty much the same as any other day in the rainforest; downpours of rain, occasional slight drizzles, followed by even more rain. Fortunately for both mammals that were headed towards the shrub layers, the torrential downpour had reduced to mere sprinkles of water, perfect conditions for an evening walk, perfect setting for the grand surprise.

"I am no dumb bunny Nick, I know we're in the Rainforest district, there's no hiding that from me, so could you please move your tail away so I can stop myself from tripping over these stupid roots!" her foot collided with another said root causing her to fall forward again, the fox swiftly grabbed her before she could plummet to the ground.

"Tsk tsk, language Carrots," he brushed off some dirt that had soiled her jeans and continued to guide her deeper into the forest, "don't worry, it'll be all worth it in the end. In the meantime, just enjoy the beautiful sight of my tail, I know you love it." She flashed a toothy grin at his remark, but it was perfectly concealed behind his bushy, amber fur. "And here we are." Nick brought Judy in front of him and slowly released her from his tail. Her eyes grew wide when she caught sight of the scene before her.

"It's beautiful..." she noted; lavender flowers filled the entire area in which they stood, the scent in the atmosphere was sweet and refreshing, a deep contrast to the atmosphere of the bustling metropolis. In the centre of the field was a lonely patch of grass without any flowers protruding from it, the fox motioned towards the grass and lead the doe towards it. Paw in paw the walked to the middle of the flower field. "It' so beautiful..." she commented again.

"Wait for it." Nick glanced at his watch and gazed towards the sky, Judy's ears drooped instantly as they beheld the stunning transformation of their environment; light from the moonlight emitted from the bright yellow celestial body bounced off the violet plants making them appear to glow, the once dull field turned into a lively, glowing land. The experience was out of this world. "It's beautiful..." Judy said for the third time that evening, then turned to Nick to thank him. "Thank you Ni- Nick? Err, what are you doing?" she assessed the mammal that knelt before her, confused and curious at his peculiar behaviour. Then it hit her.

"You're right, it is beautiful. You are beautiful, Judy." A tear cascaded down her cheeks as she was overtaken by her emotions. "If you think these flowers are beautiful, just imagine what I have to go through every time I look into your eyes..." he produced a box from his pocket. "Breath taking." Before he could say further the bunny leaped into his arms and dragged him down to the ground. Who cares if you get your shirt in the mud? It doesn't matter, nothing matters, as long as they had each other.

"Yes, Nick," she sniffled one more time. "I do Nick, I do!" the fox broke into tears at her reply, but he remained relatively composed.

"My my Carrots, 'I do' is a little too fast don't you think?"

"Not at all, Slick. Not at all..." and for once, everything was perfect.

...

...

"Are... are you crying?" the fox frantically brushed off her tears as he held her closer to himself. "Judy, why are you crying?" she said nothing and hugged him tightly instead.

"I love you dumb fox..."

"I love ya too hunny bun, but you're starting to scare me."

"Hmm, just recalled the day you fell head over heels for me." She flashed a smirk at the concerned canine. "You were so sweet Nick."

"Are."

"I'm sorry?"

"You ' _are'_ so sweet Nick." He corrected the doe as she sunk deeper into his embrace.

"Yes, yes you are."

The events that followed the proposal appeared to have gone by in a flash; they met up with each other's parents, got blessings from said parents (which went surprisingly well considering Bonnie and Stu's rather traditional mindset), made preparations for the big day, sent all the invites to friends and family, all the while keeping a steady balance between their love life and work life... which proved to be easier said than done.

...

...

"HOPPS! WILDE!" a voice boomed from the floor above as the whole precinct trembled in fear.

"What did they do this time?" soft chatters came from their brothers and sisters in blue as the infamous duo sheepishly made their way to the chief's office. Once they entered the office, they scurried onto one of the large chairs in front of the Bogo's table that were strategically placed so that the chief could stare down any mammal seated on it despite him being anywhere in the room. Both animals shared a chair, the chief snorted.

"Hopps, Wilde." The cape buffalo started, his strong gaze and unnerving aura caused the ears of both said mammals to instantly fall from their erected positions, it was an ability that proved to be useful especially when he needed to exert his dominance over his subordinates so he could get his point across, and that pretty much sums up what he was doing at the moment. "Let's not make this any harder for the three of us. You know you two are one of the more reliable cops in the precinct, right?" Their ears perked a little at the praise. Judy was about to speak when she was cut off by the buffalo. "So this little thing between you two better not jeopardise any of our operations," his voice was stern and harsh, "I believe that you both know the rules very well; relationships between colleagues must only be professional and that each officer can't be emotionally involved with each other when in uniform."

"No need to worry about that chief, we're a hundred percent professional when we're in the blues," Nick said casually as he gestured at his blue uniform. Bogo was not amused.

"Right." The largest mammal in the room tossed a couple of photographs towards the duo, who in turn picked up the pictures and glanced through it. "A hundred percent professional, Wilde?" the fox and the rabbit, in shock, looked at the pictures with wide eyes; the pieces of paper tossed at them contained images of two officers embracing each other and planting several kisses on each other's cheeks as they walked down a street placing tickets on cars. Further examination showed that the two officers in the pictures were, almost coincidentally, an odd couple of a fox and a rabbit. _Uh oh…_

"Sir, I can-"

"No need to explain Hopps, the evidence speaks for itself," Bogo deadpanned, "Hopps will be doing paperwork for the next two months, Wilde you'll be on parking duty." The mammals let out a groan, but Bogo's glare shock the animals back up before they could display more of their dissatisfaction. "This will happen every time you two get all lovey dovey at work…" the chief said seriously while making a funny face when he mouthed 'lovey dovey', though it was not received as humour as his stone-cold voice boomed at the duo. "And if this doesn't get you two to stop getting so pawsy with each other…" he leaned over his table and raise a hoof at his subordinates, "One of you will get the boot." His brows knit into a frown as he let his words sink into their minds. "Do I make myself clear?" his gaze remained glued to his submissive officers.

"Yes- yes sir." Both pred and prey muttered in unison, shaking from fear of Bogo's threats.

"Get out." And with that Nick and Judy dashed out from the room, panting as their hearts pounded from their chests. _They better not appear in my office again like this…_ Bogo collected the scattered photos and threw them into the trash can just beside his feet, he then rubbed the bridge of his snout and turned his chair towards the window. _It'll be a shame to lose them from my team…_

 _..._

 _..._

 _Well, things turned out pretty well after that, er… talk we had with Bogo, sure the month of endless paperwork was very tiring, but we still got to be with each other after a whole day at work. Heck, things got even better when Bogo gave up on dissuading us from flirting excessively, I always knew he never meant what he said in his office that day…_ Judy thought for a long while before turning back to Nick, he let out a sloppy yawn as he squirmed closer and snuggled into a spot beside the doe. "You okay Nick?"

"Yeah, just a little drained." He smacked his lips as he let the yawn subside. "You done with your emotional roller coaster ride yet?" he joked as she punched him in the arm, but he just sighed, exhaustion was starting to take a hold on him. "Well if you're done crying and all, which I still have no idea why you are, why don't we talk about something on a brighter tone?" he prompted, knowing exactly what was going through her mind as the bunny gazed at a silver band wrapped around her finger.

"Our wedding…"

...

...

"Woah." Nick's muzzle was agape as he dared to let his eye wander, all he could see was a beautiful bunny, his beautiful bunny, dressed in a pure and clean white dress. He tried to make out the details of her attire, but his roaming eyes always found its way back to her deep violet pools, then he noticed that it didn't matter what she wore or what accessories she has put on; she was perfect.

Over on her side, she beheld the astonishingly handsome fox that was standing at the end of the aisle; he wore a dark green tuxedo and an orange tie, definitely not something traditional for a wedding, but it looked absolutely stunning on him, the orange tie matched his amber coat while the dark green shirt worked well to bring out the beauty in his emerald hues; he was perfect.

As Judy walked down the long stretch of carpet that led to the fox, the world around them seemed to have dissolved, leaving only her and her fox in this blissful atmosphere. The grand piano played a melodious tune as the excited crowd slowly calmed itself down, but all that noise was drowned away as their darting gaze met and locked with each other. It was a little overwhelming, but she finally understood the significance of this very moment; the day where they can be together forever; the day they become one.

"Do you-"

"I do." The doe intercepted, the crowd seemed to have died down as an awkward silence filled the room.

"My my Carrots, as feisty as always." She was beginning to blush when the officiant, and several guests, looked at her uncomfortably. "I think we'll take it from here." Nick said to the tigress that was standing before the two. "I do, blah blah blah, rings." The fox gestured to the ring bearers as they passed the metal bands to the vulpine, he then slid a silver band into Judy's finger while the doe placed a golden band carefully around Nick's. Judy took a moment to admire how the light reflected off her shiny hoop, but before she could get carried away, Nick continued. "Blah blah blah, I pronounce you husband and wife, blah blah blah, you may kiss the bride." And with that he smashed his lips into hers, she was stunned at his quick movements, but soon decided to go deeper into the kiss.

The huge crowd was silent for a long pause, then they cheered and hooted approvingly at their romantic antics. And suddenly, just like it was a matter of minutes ago, everything was pushed aside as they relished the intimacy they shared. The long and heated kiss only grew more passionate as they shifted in each other's embrace, they then found another more comfortable position before forcing their muzzles together again. By this time things started to become a little too intense as several parents placed their paws over their children's eyes to block off the overly frenzied and fevered couple that took centre stage. It was almost an eternity before they broke off, panting and gasping for air as they did so. Embarrassment hit them much later when Nick noticed the first few buttons on his shirt had been undone, but his calm and collected façade held on strong.

"Excuse us," he said, then walked over to Judy and picked her up, bridal style. "We've got a lot to accomplish," he winked at her, causing her to giggle, and paced right out of the building. The cheering from the crowd never subsided from when they left the room until they got into the car, a testimony to the amount of support and love they received from their family and friends.

Still panting from the effect of the kiss, Judy drew a deep breath and sighed. "Nick, you embarrassed us agai-" once again she found her lips badly intertwined with Nick's, a feeling she had grown very much used to.

"Err, I guess I'll get going then." The driver, a honey badger that is a close friend of Nick's, stated plainly before taking off into the streets.

The fox chuckled between the kiss, thrusting himself further into Judy's small snout. With their muzzles still locked, they opened they sealed eyes to steal a glance at each other. The doe was taken aback when Nick's pupils began to twitch slightly; his round orbs slowly reduced to slits as he stared down the bunny. She could feel the heat radiating from him as he wrapped his arms around her, his feral and most basic instincts surfaced as he held her tightly to himself. With a deep rumble in his throat and a low and alluring growl sounding from the vulpine, she allowed herself to melt into his embrace.

" _Mine…"_

 _..._

 _..._

She was biting down on her lower lips as she thought about the looks Nick gave her that day, it was the first time she had ever seen him so primal, and it certainly wasn't the last. She quickly found herself in a similar position as the fox had just smacked himself into her muzzle again, his slit eyes sending a pleasurable chill down her spine as his warm breathes brushed over her fur. His gaze was as passionate as they were that day, so much love, so much longing, so much desire and lust. Looking around, she saw that he had pinned her onto the bed, growling deeply as he stared into her amethyst eyes.

"Getting a little too excited now, aren't we?" she teased as he chuckled, his primal instincts still ablaze.

"Aren't we?" his breathy tone, rough and suggestive, was causing her self-control to slip, but her decision was final; no more until they got home, so she placed her paws on his shoulders and shoved him down towards the bed. He landed with a soft thud, but wasn't greatly harmed. "Cut it Slick." She caressed the base of his ears with soothing strokes, effectively calming the canine down from his sudden heated moment. He groaned.

"Thanks Carrots," Nick said, face still planted on the bed. After the tense moment, he felt fatigue catch up to him as he started to lose focus.

"No problem, but I think we have one too many kits," she chuckled at her remark, "ah, kits…"

...

...

After many, and I mean MANY consultations with a wide range of doctors and specialists, the couple has come to one clear and distinct conclusion; having kits is not possible. "Then why…" the doe asked no one in particular as she remained curled up beside the bath tub. In her trembling paw held a small device that was too familiar to any bunny, it was a device with two strips displayed on its screen, a device which showed a positive result. "How is this possible…" she muttered under her breath as she heard footsteps coming towards the door.

"Judy!" came the cry of her husband, "Judy! Are you okay?" concern filled his tone as he picked her up from where she laid. "What's that in your paw?" curiosity replaced the concern that was in his voice, Judy slowly unravelled her paws, Nick almost fainted. "But- but- but-"

"Yeah, I know." Tears of joy flowed freely down her cheeks, "We're gonna have kits!" the doe squealed loudly, wholly thankful for the miracle that has just arrived.

A month of crazy cravings and extreme mood swings and ceaseless crying and endless whining finally went by until this very moment when time seemingly came to a halt. There was a lot of shouting and yelling, and panting and screaming, and squeezing and pushing; overall, it was not a pleasant experience. After an hour of intense contractions, and a good half an hour of Judy crushing Nick's fragile paw, the pain has finally ended as they smiled at the birth of their first triplets. All the ordeal has finally stopped, or so they thought.

"Oh for the sake of mammality will you guys please just stop!" Judy, annoyed and tired, yelled softly at the crying babies, it was only normal for her to get so worked up, after all she did just bathe and clean up three hyperactive and, not surprisingly, disobedient toddlers. The doe fell flat on her bed, deciding to ignore the loud shrieks.

"Don't worry Judy, I got this." Nick, after giving the bunny a hug and a peck on her lips, walked to his children and cradled them in his arms. He studied them intently while he rocked them to sleep; in his paws were two cute little bunnies and one beautiful fox, one of the rabbits had a cream coat which resembled the fur lining Nick's abdomen and neck while the other had Nick's light orange pelt. The fox however looked nothing like his siblings; his fur was a dark grey colour and the tip of his tail was coloured white. Despite being very different from each other, Nick was pleased to have kits of his own, to have a family. "Get some rest Judy, I'll put them to-" he turned to his wife who was snoring away. Letting out a series of deep chuckles, he made his way towards the bed and laid down beside her, slowly allowing sleep to overcome him.

The family, though diverse and rather special, was complete, was happy…

…was whole.

...

...

"Judy."

"Oh! Oh! And that time he was in the football team-"

"Judy."

"And also that time he was in that play-"

"Judy!" Nick called out aloud successfully getting the rabbit's attention. "I think it's time."

"Really? No the children aren't done with school; they finish in the afternoon-"

"No no Judy, I mean that it is time to go."

"What? Nah, visiting hours doesn't end for three more hours, you're mistaken."

"No Judy! I mean the time has come."

"... what do you mean?"

"Judy, you know exactly what I mean." He stared into her gleaming hues. "It's time to go."

"Wha... no that can't be..."

"I'm sorry Judy, but it was only a matter of time."

"We- we still have so much to do we- the chil- children- us- no tha- that can't be-" Judy stuttered as a stream of tears flowed down her cheeks.

"Shh shh, don't you cry now hunny bun, everything's gonna be alright."

"Alright? Alright!? How- how will anything be alright if you leave me!?"

"No Judy, I'll always be with you, in here..." he placed a paw over her heart and rubbed it gently.

"No, no no no this can't be happening, I need you beside me, how will I pull through without you with me!?" he brought her into his embrace and whispered in her ear.

"You take care of the children when I'm gone; they are my life Judy."

"No Nick you can't do this to us, you can't go..."

"Listen, officer Hopps, you continue making this world a better place..." he let her go from his grip. "And I'll be waiting for you in a better place." He smiled warmly at the sobbing bunny. "It's inevitable, Judy, we can't do anything about it, but what we can do..." he rubbed his thumb over the damp cheeks of the bunny, "Is pick ourselves back up and stay strong and hopeful." A tear rolled off his own cheeks as he felt himself getting drained. "Till the day we, as a family, get to be together forever and ever..." he hugged her once more, "You'll always be my lovely bunny." She sniffed and wrapped her arms around the canine.

"And you'll always be my lovely fox..." the hug they shared grew weaker as Judy began tearing up again. The hug tightened for one last time, then Nick's limbs grew weak and slumped against Judy, his breathing steadily came to a halt, only a loving smile remained over his muzzle. "Till the day we meet again..."

"Sweetheart..."


	2. To Judy Hopps:

To Judy Hopps:

With all I am, I would rewind,

Back to those moments, back to those times.

But as of now, it is too late,

Time has caught on, and we faced our fates

.

Thanks for the memories, thanks for the laughs,

Through sorrow and pain, all trials in our path,

You've been next to me, right by my side,

Telling me all's good, and all is alright.

.

Now it's my turn to care for you dear,

To pick you back up, and dry off your tears.

I'll never leave you, that's far from true,

I'm always, always, forever with you.

.

Yes I'm not there in the near future,

But I'll heal your wounds, I'll be your suture.

Whatever may come, let it be so,

But I am with you, that you should know.

.

Right from the beginning, right from the start,

I fell in love, and you stole my heart.

When we first locked eyes, we became one part,

So remember, always, and never forget, Judith Larveane Hopps,

That I, Nicholas Piberius Wilde, lives in you...

...Sweetheart...


End file.
